First Year Hon. Mention: Hey Google, How do I Say Goodbye?

WRIT 1700A, Writing: Process and Practice. TA: Tita Kyrtsakas. CD: kerry doyle.

Abstract

Hey Google, How do I Say Goodbye” is a runner up for this prize because it is an exceptional example of how to write a personal essay about a common life experience in a unique way. The struggle to find balance between two cultures, while also relating to a parent who only identifies with one, is something that many kids of immigrant parents struggle with. But the writer doesn’t simply tell us about this experience, rather, they show us by weaving in Vietnamese phrases into the story. In doing so, the reader can directly empathize with the author’s struggle to understand that culture. As a result, this piece moves us as we read through the writer’s efforts to cope with the death of their father.